BITTER accusations and impassioned pleas for reconciliation echoed around a packed Forest hall, when the battle over the hanging of a memorial cloth came to a head.

The increasingly acrimonious saga over whether to hang or not to hang the Ruardean Woodside Darby and Joan Club's framed memorial tapestry reached crisis point at the AGM of the hall's committee. But, after two hours, no agreement was reached.

The hall's committee, all re-elected on the night, say the walls in the hall are too damp to hang the framed cloth safely and neither they nor the trustees want to be held liable if there was an accident.

But, during the debate, the chair, Mrs Sylvia Cole, said the argument had created: "Very bad feeling in the village and caused hurt to several generations, whether they were born in the village or not. Can we not draw a line under this now?"

Mrs Cole's husband, Brian, added that letters in the press, including the Review had been: "aggressive, threatening and racist," and had caused his wife "sleepless nights, stress and to have fears for her own safety."

Mrs Maggie Bates, speaking for the Darby and Joan Club said: "This isn't just a table cloth, it is a memorial cloth which has on it the signatures of 55 years worth of names who worked for and helped this hall. It is a memorial and it should be in its memorial hall. Surely there must be some compromise here?"

Offers were made to replaster the walls in question and Cllr Mike Garland (Drybrook) said he was prepared to have a survey carried out on the walls within two weeks.

"Let's solve this problem now," he pleaded. "Before this ridiculous nonsense hits the national newspapers. Let's solve this problem so we can all go home and have a nice cup of tea."

One local resident, Joy Morgan, said: "I've lived in this village for nine years and I love it, I've been made to feel very welcome. What I want to know is what is going to happen when the walls are put right? Can the memorial then go up on the wall because then there would be no reason for not having it up there? I hate the feeling here now, it is such a shame for this to have happened."